Thank you very much for the excellent and well rounded July 4 article about the Meals on Wheels program in the Lakes Region. We appreciate your interest in this vital service for homebound seniors.

The Meals on Wheels program is indeed facing increasing food and delivery costs but the reason why we have cut back home deliveries from Naples from five to four days has to do with the difficulties our volunteers are having with their own rising fuel costs.

The Southern Maine Agency on Aging reimburses our volunteer drivers at the state of Maine rate, currently 42 cents per mile, if they request it. In the Lakes Region, we have a general driver shortage and many of those who are delivering meals have recently cut back on the days they can deliver meals – thus forcing the reduction in delivery days.

The solution is more volunteer drivers. There are a great many homebound seniors in the area, and we would like to deliver daily hot meals to all of them. We hope the excellent story you have told about the program will stimulate some Lakes Region residents to volunteer at least one day a week for two hours so that we can meet this important need.

Also, we have never had a waiting list for the Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s Meals on Wheels Program. We are committed to delivering means to anyone more than age 60 unable to cook nutritious food. Even temporary deliveries are possible for those, who due to illness or injury are unable to cook. We also will enroll persons under age 60 who are unable to cook because of a disability.

Thank you again for helping to get the word out about this important service.

Edward S. Trainer, director of healthy aging

Southern Maine Agency on Aging

Scarborough